Money Moral Dilemma: Is it fair I pay to repair a water pipe that only supplies our neighbours?

Greatnanniek

Sorry but I’d remove the pipe from the garden before it does damage to your grass etc,  it’s their problem and when they’ve got no water then they’ll be sorry, but I’d definitely not pay it which is what their expecting you to do

eastmidsaver

if you have legal cover on your home insurance,  then maybe worth speaking to them.
i can;t be 100% certain,  but as far as i am aware,   at minimum they should be paying a contribution.
it may also we worth checking the original transfer of your property  (land registry should hold a copy),  usually within that original form it states who is responsible for what (like boundaries, services etc).

garyttt

Unless it's super complicated like going up, around, back to the side then under the sofa, I think I could make a modest profit fixing it for under £200. i.e. sounds like the plumber is intending to retire on some tropical island within the next 2 weeks. I mean £650, that sort of money plus parts would pay for a new central heating system (unless you're living in Buckingham Palace) 
There are of course multiple legal aspects to this. Usually if it's a shared service, water or sewage, then each householder pays for their section. However, it only serves your neighbour. So are you responsible? There might be a legal requirement depending on how it was done back when the houses were built. You won't find a certainty on here, it really does depend. 
I do think you could get it fixed for much less though whatever the legal responsibility. And if it's leaking, then never mind them, how about you getting wet feet?
A cunning solution however might be to simple get a roll of blue MDPE pipe, joint it up to where the lead pipe starts (recover and sell the lead of course ) then just feed the new pipe straight back out your house and around the outside to your neighbours property, and say "heh! here's your new water supply, it's your responsibility to take it from here...

pftinks

It seems pretty clear that your neighbour is responsible for his water supply under your property, as long as he's the sole beneficiary of that pipe - I'm looking these things up because I'm in a slightly similar position. The water company has been harassing me for about eighteen months, even threatening to take legal action and a £1,000 fine, if I don't fix the leak in the allotted time. But now they've discovered that the leak is in the old lead pipe which supplies my neighbour (and not me!) that runs under my house. And it looks as if they are going to give us both new, separate MDPE supply lines. I'm still concerned that the leak may have damaged my foundations and I'm not sure how to find out whether it has or not and who is responsible for any repairs that may be involved.

kippaxkid

Lots of commenters saying that OP should cut off the supply. 

Remove an essential supply? Not even the Water Supplier can do that without court approval